Valsalva maneuver

The transient, somewhat forceful exhalation of air against an intentionally blocked airway. In a common variant of this maneuver, a person blocks the exhaled air by sealing the lips and plugging the nose, which forces air up the Eustachian tube and “pops the ears”; this variant is often performed when on a plane that is descending for landing. In a second variant, a person blocks the exhaled air by closing the vocal cords; this variant is often performed sub-consciously when a person lifts a heavy weight. This second variant of the Valsalva maneuver is also sometimes elicited by a physician during a cardiac or neurological evaluation.